Health mini factsheets

Vitamin B12 helps make red blood cells and keeps our nervous system healthy. If you lack vitamin B12 you could suffer from vitamin B12 anaemia – your red blood cells aren’t able to carry oxygen around your body properly.

You need calcium for healthy bones and teeth, but you don’t need cow’s milk and dairy products to get it. Vitamin D is often overlooked, and many people are unaware that deficiency is not uncommon in the UK, especially during the winter!

Cancer incidence in the UK is ranked higher than 90 per cent of the world! Half of us will be told we have cancer at some point in our lives, and one quarter of us will die from it

Chicken has become the most popular choice in the UK, the so-called healthy option – but is it?

The health and well-being of our children critically determines their opportunities in life. A healthy diet is vital to reduce the risk of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and many types of cancer. There’s a lot of misinformation around, so is a vegan diet healthy for kids?

Not all fats are bad, a small amount of ‘good’ fat is essential for health. It provides energy and helps you absorb some nutrients.

Your heart pumps oxygen-rich blood around your body through a network of arteries. Problems arise when arteries are blocked by the build-up of plaques made of cholesterol and other fatty substances in blood

Your body uses iron to make haemoglobin in red blood cells and myoglobin in muscles, both proteins carry oxygen to fuel the body. Without enough iron to make these proteins, iron-deficiency anaemia may leave you tired and short of breath.

It’s a tired old question asked by those who think animal products are the only proper sources of protein. But do vegans fall short? What are the facts? Why do we need protein?

No other plant divides opinions like soya – some consider it healthy and versatile, others say it is harmful and should be avoided. What are the facts?

In the UK, one in 14 people over the age of 65 has dementia and it increases to one in six in people over 80. However, 40 per cent of cases could be prevented or delayed and  evidence shows a healthy diet can help. 

Fish is marketed as a health food that may help protect heart health. However, some experts warn against eating both farmed and wild-caught fish and shellfish. 

Achieving a healthy weight isn’t about being thin, it’s about having a healthy body that works well and isn’t held back by inflammation, achy joints, high blood pressure or high blood sugar. 

If you have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) you can still eat many plant foods and the right ones can help.

Your immune system protects you round-the-clock but what you eat can have a considerable effect. You can make it sharper by eating well and looking after yourself – or you can overload and weaken it. 

Crohn’s and colitis are inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) with some similarities and differences.